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VOLUME II.
"
VICTORY 1
g DECISIVE BATTLES.!
LEE'S ARMYROU1ED
A Terrific Charge by General
Hancock.
Desperate Fury of our Men.
Three Generals, 50 Officers,
; 2,000 Men and 12 Guns
Captured.
?
Splendid news from General
Sheridan.
H Usd Lee's
Communications Totally
* Severed.
*' . . ? 1
Trains and Supplies Captured.
#
Over Five Hundred Union Prisoners
Retaken.
Dispatches from the War Office
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J. I 4 S
FIRST DISPATCH.
tOFJICIAl,] j ]
WARinstTox, May 11?11.30 P. M.
To Jfaj.-Grneral Mx:
Dispatches from Gen. Grant, dated at
3 o'clock this morning, have jnst reached
. ? this department. He says :
"AUn ''OVA rirvw (?nrlpr? thfi sixth dav of
?T U 11UIV UVTT ?
very heavy fighting. The result to this
time is much in our favor. Our losses
have been heavv, as well as those of the
enemy. I think the loss of the enemy
must he greater. We hare taken over
5,000 prisoners in battle, whilst he has
taken from us but few except stragglers.
I propose to fight' it out on this line, if it
takes all Sunimer."
The Government is sparing no pains to
support him ' EDWIN
M. STANTON,
. : i /I Secretary af War.
SECOND DISPATCH.
' ramcTit.}^''
Wamilv?ton, May 1 J?S.15 P. K.
. 3? Jfcy'.-Gen. Dix : ?
A dispatch from Gem* Sheridan, dated
44 Headquarters of the Cavalry Corps, May
10," states that he tnmed the enemy's,
right, and got into their rear,' had des-'
troyed from eight to ten miles of railroad
two locomotives and three trains, an#a
very large quantities of supplies; and that
since he had got into their rear there was
great excitement among the inhabitants
and the army. The enemy's cavalry, had
tried to annoy his rear and" flank, but had
been run off, "and he had re-captured five
hundred of our men?two of them
Colonels.
}io dispatches have been received for
two dap from Gon. Butler.
Dispatches received from Gen. Steele
report "*is command as having arrived at
Little Rock. Ho had fought a superior
force of the enemy, commanded by Kirby
Smith in person, at Saline River, and defeated
them.
A steamboat from Red River, arrived
to-day at Cairo, reports reinforcements
going up to Gen. Banks.
Gen. Canby had passed Cairo on his
way to Red River.
EDWIN M. STANTON.
Secretary of War.
Wamuxotox, May 12.
Yesterday morning the lighting was
again renewed, and was continued with
various success until about II o'clock,
when our lines were somewhat advanced.
At that hour a flag of truce is reported
to have been sent by Lee, who asked for
a cessation of hostilities for forty-eighthours,
that h* might bury his dead.
fimnt r*-T>lw>rt tHnt he had not time
to bury bis own, and would advance immediately
; and some parts of our line
were therefore pushed forward.
It is stated that the woods were shelled,
but no response was elicitedifrom where
the enemy's centre had been a few hours
before.
The prisoners captured on Tuesday and
Wednesday number over 1,000. The re
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15-hiAUJFUIVl, OUUJLxi vzi
bel dead and wounded were found covering
almost every foot of ground wherever
our troeps surged forward and the rebels
gave wav. j ?
The slaughter among our troops wagv
terrific, but not so great as that of thfc
enemy, and but few captures were made
by the latter.
Dispatcheslfrom the Army of the Potomac.
dated Wilderness battlefield yester-,
i day, say, probably the most desperate
, fighting of the past seven terrible days
I took place on Tuesday,
t Believing the enemy to have sent a
1 greater part of his troops to Iiichhpgfcd,
j an advance along the entire line wasrde*
, termined on at an early horn*.
The Second Corps having the right of
j the line, had crossed the Po River tlf#
I evening previous, and had met with buf
I slight opposition.
In*the morning the position of the enemy
was foiu^l to be in tl^ shape of 3
horseshoe, and on Hancock's troops advancing
to attack they were compelled to
| fall back. - *
An attempt to break their centre was
j then ordered, and part of Hancocks
men were sent to support Warren in the
movement.
Our* right was alfo advanced, and the
! move was begun in tlie afternoon.
' The enemy were driven into their in:
trenchments in gallant style, and Upton's
, brigade of Wright's division. Sixth Corps,
I got into Ae energy's rifle pits, capturing
I twelve guns and about one thousand prisoners.
*
Not being supported by other portions
of the line, who were unable to gain the
tier of works in their front, this brigade
was forced to evacuate its advanced position,
leaving the captured guns, after
spiking them, but bringing oil' all the
prisoners.
The enemy.snfiered heavy losses during
the fight, our shells falling into their
works, and our infantry delivering their
fire with remarkable precision. ?
Gen. Rice was wounded in the thigh
early in the engagement, and died after
his leg had been amputated,
i Gen. Stevenson is also reported killed.
He commanded a brigade in Biumside's
corps.
Our losses were very heavy.
Gen. Gibbons' division has lost altoge.
thAr over a thousand men. w
Gen. Robinson's division, after losing
both its general officers and about two
thousand five hundred men,: had no
era! to command<it? and it has been brok'
1 en no and distributed among other divi
sions of the Etfth Corps.
No division 'of the army fought better
than th? one. /
The; Ninth New York State Militia
fought gloriously, and suffered probably
more than any other regiment in the held.
After the action four officers and fifteen
I men were all that was left, of it, except a
j few on detached duty,. ?
I Lieut. Luper, of the Ninetieth Pennsylvania,
had his head blown off by a piece
of shell.
The rebels are in very strong positions,
behind earthworks, abattis and woods, and
in many places it is impossible to penetrate
to them.
Buroside is reported,to be within a
mile of Spottsjlvania Court House, about
to turn the reoel right.
If he is successful we shall obtain possion
of the point which the struggle lias
j been for during the past three days, and
| then Lee must retreat.
I At 1 o'clock on Tuesday a fire] raged
I between the two armies, at a point in the
line, and a large number of wounded of
both parties were lying on the spot,
nnr mpn. in atteinnting to get their
i comrades off tlie field were fired on by
| the rebel skirmishers and driven off, and
the poor sutlers had to be left to perish in
the fiames.
Gentlemen prominently connected with
the Government are to-day in good spirits,,
in view of the recent military events in
1 Virginia, and consider our final triumph
merely a question of time. Movements
J are in progress which will soon be pubj
licly developed, forming a part of the
i general plan, looking to success,
i Gen. Burnside directed to have his
friends in Washington told that everything
looked very favorable and hopefuL
VAhHiNGTON, Thursday, May 18.
It was Gen. Hill's corps that Gen. Burnside
repulsed so gallantly,
The &'or says :
! Gen. Burnside's colored troops were
I held in reserve, but were subsequently
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E SOI
HOLINA, MAY 21, 1864.
i. .
brought into action and fought with desperation.
Their officers expected to have consid- j
. prnV?ta difficnltv in restraining them, as
' they appeared desirous not to take any
prisoners, being exasperated by the re- .
! mem brance of Fort Pillow and the atrocities
committed there by the rebels on
I their race. j
* It was believed in the army that Sigel
having made forced marches, had de-*
stroyed Lee's railroad connections with
Lynchburgh, and that Sheridan had done
to his communications with Richmond.
An order was given for another advance
1 yesterday morning.
j At G o'clock A. M., when our informant
(left, our centre and right were heavily engaged
with the rebels.
The Ninth Corps was then on the ,
I march.
Our losses are represented to have been
j very heavy, but everything looks hopeful.
Prominent officers say that we shall
j soon see the end.
I It is confirmed that in an order issued
I on Monday, found on some prisoners,
that Gen. Lee notified his army that his !
communication with Richmond was-*
broken, and no rations could be drawn [
from thence, and he advised them to capture
supplies from our army.
Gen. Grant had captured up to yester- :
day about 6,000 prisoners. ' Part of a
{ regiment was captured entire..* It was ;
I composed of men who had been exchanged
but a few weeks since,
f The loss of the enemy in killed is much
greater than ours. His wounded are supposed
to be about the same.
The latest edition of the Stur of this af- ,
ternoon has the following :
1 " Gen. Lee is reported to have asked I
tnv a nAssnh'cm of hostilities to burv his '
| dead."
y Gen. Grant replies that lie lias not liad
time to bury liis own dead, and that he
proposes to advance immediately.
The woods were shelled, and Gen. Lee
turned up miasing in front.
Yesterday morning the fighting was
again resumed and continued with varying
success until about 11 o'cleck, when
otrr line had somewhat advanced. "
Later.?dJp to this morning we have
received no confirmation of the rumor in |
regard to Gen. Lee above mentioned, but ;
the faot that such a report was current in
Fredericksbsirgb -yesterday shows the
bOuyant feeling there in regard to our
position, based upon a knowledge of general
facts of a hopeful nature," '
Washington, May 13?-5-3S P, M.
Maj.Oen.Dix; ?y. w ?
Official dispatches are just received by
this Department, dated yesterday, 8 A.
M.yat the bhttle-field near Spotsylvania
Court House. . i i t i . i
They state that during the night Gen.
Hancock marched from his previous nosi- !
tioii 011 our right, and .occupied the '
ground between Gens. Wright and. Burnside.
At daylight he attacked with his
accustomad impetuosity, forcing die first,
and then the second line of thf> enemy's
works, capturing the whole o i Edward
Johnson's division and part < jt Early's,
together with Maj. Gen. Joh nson, Gen.
Stewart, and from 40 to 50 ca anon.
(; The number of prisoners ' & not given,
but is to be counted by tliov xsands.
Gen. Burnside, on the. extreme left,
opened at the same time , ^ith Gen. Hancock.
and advanced wit! i comparatively
little opposition. His ri ght iias formed a
junction with Gen. Har /jock, and his left
is now actively engage A,
Gen. Wright's tro( go attacked at 7:15
o'clock, and are now at work. i
Gen. Warren is demonstrating to hold i
the enemy in froD .t of his lines. The rebel I
works at that . point are exceedingly i
strong.
EDWIN ill. STANTON, Secretary of War.
Batttx Fit j.r? xrAi: Siwren-VASM, C. If., ) |
?U>-12?3 P. M./ |
We have to-day achieved a signal sue- j
cess by the capture of two lines of the j
enemy's ritie pits.
Mq. -Gen. Ed. Johuson, commanding a i
? division, of Ewell's Corps, with three of
his brigadiers, Stewart, Johnson, and an- ,
other whose name I have been unable to
learn, captured from 20 to 40 pieces of artilleiy,
and about 3,000 prisoners.
The honor of the achievement belongs
Maj. -Gen. Hancock, who last night, at 11 !
o'clock, moved his corps down to our left,
and at early dawn charged the rebel works,
taking the enemy by surprise and making
the captures above mentioned. Our men
are jubilant, and perfectly confident of
i success. 11
ITH.
NUMBER 19.
All order l'rom headquarters to the
troops, announcing our captures, was read
this morning, and produced the greatest
enthusiasm.
Rebel prisoners states that their army
is fearfully demoralized, and that if the
tight continues but few will be left to tell
the tale of the battle of the Wilderness.
The tight has raged desperately all .day.
At about 9 o'clock A. IVI., the enemy
charged upon the works taken by General
Hancock earlier in the morning, and for
three or four hours endeavored to repossess
their rifle pits. They were in every
instance repulsed with great slaughter,
and our men are now in undisturbed possession
of their works.
Burnside occupies the extreme left of
our position and has been engaged to-daT.
Considerable cannonading on our right
is still going on. The bands along the
line are playing national airs and every
one is confident of success.
Maj.-General Sheridan commanding the
Cavalry Corps has destroyed ten miles of
the Orange and Alexandria Railroad near
Gordonsville, also two locomotives and a
large amount of supplies near Beaver
Dam, he also captured 500 of our men
taken prisoners during the late battle, say
he has been annoyed by flank and rear
attacks, which he invariably repulsed, and
that he expects to fight the enemy's cavalry
on the other side of the South Anna
River.
It has been raining very hard at intervalg
all day. The fighting has nevertheless
been incessant. Gen. Eager, with
re-enforeements, is expected up to-night
or to-morrow morning from Belle Plain
and Fredericksburg.
Our lines have been concentrated, and
are now not over two miles in length.
Oar losses to-day have been very heavy.
Stotthtlvania C*int Horsr, Va.,>
Friday, -May 13, S A. >1., 1*M. (
Hen. E. V, Stanton, Secretary of Were:
Lee abandoned his position during the
night, whether to occupy a new positiou
in the vicinity, or to make a thorough retreat,
is not determined.
One division of Wright's and one of
Hancock's are engaged in settling thin
question, and at 7}? A. M. had come up
on his rear guard. Though on* army is
greatly fatigued from the enormous efforts
of yesterday, the news of Lee's departure
inspires the men with fresh energy. The
whole force will soon he, in motion, but
the heavy rains of the last thirty-six hours
render the roads ver j difficult for wagons
and artillery. The proportion, of severely
wounded is greater than on either of the
previous days' fighting. This was owing
to the urreat uxe made of artillery.
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\Yawiu*?to>, Friday, 2:40 P. M., May 13,1(w4.
To 3faj. G*n. Dte: ''
A dispatch from Lieut. Gen. Grant ha*
jnst been received, dated Spot tsy Ivan ia
?ourt House, May 12, 0:30 P. M. It is
as follows :
The eighth day of battle closed, leaving
between 3,000 and 4,000 prisoners in our
hands for the day, including two general
officers and over thirty pieces of artillery.
The enemy are obstinate, and seem *r?
have found the "last ditch." We have
lost no organization?not even a company?while
we have destroyed and captured
one division (Johnson's), one brigade
IDobb", and one regiment entire
of the enemy's.
'E, M. STANTON, Secretary ofW.-r.
Wasuixoton, Friday, May IS?i P. V.
An Extra St'tr has the following:
"We learn from bigh authority tint a
dispatch received in this city last evening
from Gen. Sheridan stating that he 1 ad
cut off communication with Richmond?
by destroying ten miles of railroad ' etween
Gen. Lee ani Richmond?capt red
three rebel trains, and released 500 U ion
prisoners who were on the train."
A III'bit? UUll^lilUI Ul it ivvvi v* *
coal mine in Pennsylvania, was inquisitive
as to the nature of a hell, upon which her
father represented it to be a large gulf of
tire of the most prodigious extent. *4Fa,"
said she, "cduidn't you get the devil to
buy coal of you?"
A G'nlpepper farmer, on whose farm the
opposing picketts are stationed, recentlyremarked
to a Union officer: "I haint
took no sides in this yer rebellion, but
I'll be dog gorned if both sides haint took
me."
Some of our military officers have four
aids?promenade, serenade, lemonade.
and gasconade, and still are of little aid
to the country.
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